Phantom Sixth Man
by xXxAnGeLFLoNnExXx
Summary: When he was at his lowest, a strange white-haired teen offered him a second chance. Millefiore!Kuroko. No pairings. Two-shot. (Part 2 may be completely scrapped and revised).
1. Retelling the Memories

**So this started with me reading KHR x KnB crossovers, and then I thought, "Hey, wasn't Byakuran recruiting trustworthy people he met in parallel worlds?" then I remembered how Kuroko was all down and depressed after the Meiko-Teiko match, and I also remembered the Funeral Wreaths saying something about how Byakuran saved their lives and blah blah blah POOR TEIKO!KURO-CHIN NEEDS A SAVIOR.**

**There would be angst and feels and crying Kuroko (and this is not OOC, just a rare event for him) and depressing things. I don't know why I like being depressing.**

**COULD HAVE A SECOND CHAPTER, IF YOU GUYS DEMAND FOR IT AND I GET SMACKED IN THE FACE BY INSPIRATION (I ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO START THE NEXT ONE).**

**R &amp; R.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

The first time they met, it was in a candy store.

He went there to buy sweets for Murasakibara as per Akashi's orders (the giant was suffering from some withdrawal). It was by chance that he saw this teen who appeared to have seen him, despite his lack of presence. Kuroko didn't know what to think of the strange teen with snow-white hair— the color didn't even faze him; it was a lot more common than blue or green or purple.

It wasn't everyday that he met a person who could actually see him.

He didn't know whether to be impressed or feel disturbed. The teen's lilac eyes seemed as if they burned into his soul, passing through the many barriers that hid his emotions from others.

Kuroko pretended that he didn't notice the unnerving stare sent his way and focused on the aisle of sweets instead. It was then that he saw his teammate's favorite brand of marshmallows. Forgetting the other teen's presence for a moment, the blue-haired player tried to reach at the pack on top of the shelf, to no avail.

He inwardly grimaced. It was unfair that he was shor— that the store built shelves for taller people.

The passing specialist snapped out of his stupor and could only blink as another hand reached out towards the marshmallows and the pack was dropped into his arms. He glanced from the side and saw that it was the same person, still with that same stare and a masked smile.

He mentally shuddered. The teen reminded him of Akashi's new take in personality.

"Thank you," Kuroko said, clutching the pack with a deathly pale grip. Normally, he would not be wary of strangers, but if there was anything that he fervently believed in, it would be his instincts. And his instincts were telling him to _run_.

However, he did not move an inch, and stared back defiantly at the albino. Now that he thought about it, there was something awfully familiar with the other.

The cat-like smile remained on his lips, eyes lighting with amusement like a kid who found a new toy to play with; and something sinister in those orbs. "No problem."

Kuroko broke off his stare, nodded in acknowledgment at the teen, and turned around to go to the counter. He stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened uncharacteristically once he heard the teen's last words to him.

"Besides, it isn't everyday I meet a person with an unnaturally low presence like you. Interesting. My other self's memories weren't exaggerated, after all." The last part was muttered under his breath, and so, Kuroko never heard those words.

He knew that the teen noticed him, but never did he think that the white-haired male figured out that he was almost invisible to the rest of the world.

After Kuroko paid for Murasakibara's pack of marshmallows and went towards the door to leave, he made the mistake of looking back and saw the teen's stare transfixed on his retreating form, with the smile also permanently plastered on his face.

He turned and never looked back.

It was creepy.

* * *

The second time they met, it was purely coincidental.

Kuroko was assigned to show Spanner—or at least that's the name he gave; he never revealed what it was—the foreign exchange student, around campus. As it was also Spanner's first time to stay for a long period in Japan, the basketball player offered to show Spanner around the city as well.

Initially, he thought that he and Spanner wouldn't get along so well, since they have far too different interests— he loves basketball and the other loves technology. On the other hand, Spanner was a fan of all things Japanese, both traditional and modern things. Since Kuroko's family was on the traditional side, they found a common ground.

Besides, it may not be obvious, but the blond-haired teen was an avid bookworm. He just liked fiddling with machines more than reading. The blue-haired teen vowed to share good literature with his new, non-athlete friend.

Spanner often told him of what he liked to do in the future— building robots, hovercars and hoverbikes, and machines that defied the laws of the universe. Maybe it was because of that optimism and determination to do better that Kuroko could think of him as a close friend, even though only a couple of months had passed since their meeting.

Eventually, the blond-haired male introduced him to Irie Shoichi, the other teen's fellow technological enthusiast and friendly rival. Spanner told him of how he and Shoichi weren't all buddy-buddies at first, but became very close when they had the opportunity to talk and indulge about the technical stuff. Kuroko wouldn't understand a single word from his technobabble, but he did understand that Spanner probably saw himself in the ginger-haired boy.

"He's my best friend, you know," Spanner once confessed. "Back in England, the others always saw me as 'that science geek' or the 'weird robot maniac'. Shoichi only saw me as 'Spanner', a fellow science lover."

Kuroko nodded, knowing how it felt like to have someone acknowledge you. Being born with a low presence didn't give him a lot of opportunities to make friends, and that is why he treasured his friendship with Ogiwara very much.

To his credit, Irie Shoichi was a pleasant person to be with. The ginger-haired boy was a bit on the shy department and has a very low self-esteem (as the boy seemed to be the typical target of school bullying), yet when it came to talking about what he loved, he shone through. There was no denying that he was brilliant, and he would go far in the future.

It wasn't long before Kuroko, Shoichi, and Spanner started hanging out, even when they couldn't see the meek boy because of the distance of the city to the quaint town of Namimori.

One day, during a robot convention, the two prodigies invited him to attend and watch the contest. As a good friend, of course he wouldn't pass this up. Unfortunately, he was torn between being happy or sad. Akashi had dismissed him and approved of his short leave without a single query. If it had been before, the red-haired captain would've asked.

It hurts when you didn't matter to people who mattered to you.

During his stay at the convention in Tokyo while looking for his two friends, he collided onto someone's back. He was about to land on the floor if it weren't for someone grabbing him and pulling him into an upright position. Kuroko's eyes widened when realized who was it that helped him up.

It was the strange male from the candy store.

"Fancy meeting you again, and here of all places, phantom-kun~," The teen said in a sing-song manner. Kuroko blinked and answered. "Ah, it's you."

The white-haired teen had a mocked hurt expression on his face. "That's it? That's your only reaction? 'Ah, it's you', how boring."

He raised an eyebrow at that statement. "I don't even know you."

The albino snorted, still keeping that grin on his face. _How does his face not get tired after all this time?_, Kuroko idly wondered.

The male saw that the blue-haired teen wasn't paying attention to him, rather, he was looking around: obviously searching for someone or something.

He sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. For a brief moment, Kuroko thought the other's smile morphed into a bemused smirk. In the blink of an eye, it was back to the default expression. "It's kinda sad watching you wander around like a lost kid. They're at the contest in the east wing."

"Thank you," The athlete replied, instantly heading towards the aforementioned place. The man did not lie. The robotics tournament was being held there. As he expected, Shoichi and Spanner's combined genius pulled through and they won with their joint robot project. The three went home, with the two prodigies feeling high because of their victory, and the last being very proud of them.

It wasn't until Kuroko arrived at his house that he realized something very crucial.

How did the white-haired boy know who he was looking for?

* * *

The third time they met, it was when he was at his lowest.

How could his teammates do that to his childhood friend and his own team? How far had he been left behind? How could the people he once admired and respected do something so horrible?

After the game, Kuroko cried for himself, not being able to stop his team. For Ogiwara, whose efforts were tossed aside and dreams torn asunder. For his team, who fell more and more apart as time passed. For basketball, as it had ruined everything he cherished.

What was the point of playing if you can't even enjoy the game anymore? When you can't even enjoy it with your friends? When it drove your friend into pieces?

Kuroko hated it, but he hated basketball even more. Just thinking about the game lead to the painful memories of the championship. Ogiwara, whom he saw at the entrance and tried to chase after, didn't spare him a glance; too broken by the cruelty that Teiko bestowed upon him.

It was unfair.

Basketball was supposed to be an enjoyable game, right?

Since when did it come to this?

The blue-haired boy sat down on the sidewalk, too tired to stand up. It wasn't long before he felt something wet drop onto his hair. He stared upwards and saw the darkened sky. It started to rain. _How fitting._ He bitterly thought. Rain was supposed to wash away his problems, though it seems even the weather was against him, pouring down heavily onto the earth.

Spanner wasn't even around anymore since the exchange student program was over.

Kuroko buried his head into his hands. He didn't know where to start. He wanted to track Ogiwara down and apologize, but he knew his childhood friend needed time and some space from any Teiko player— including him. The other Meiko players didn't sugarcoat the situation one bit. One even threw a water bottle at him and the near-invisible teen didn't blame him.

His teammates didn't look for him. Momoi could have searched for him. _But Aomine-kun needs her more than I do. She's one of the few things that tie him to the sport,_ were the unspoken words. His manager was a good friend, though with her two precious friends standing on different sides, it was hard. He didn't want to make it hard for her.

Kuroko chose to walk away, not making her choose between her friends.

As the heavy rainfall continued, the boy heard a soft pitter-patter on the concrete floor and suddenly, he stopped feeling raindrops pour on his hair. He raised his head and saw the same white-haired teen from before, holding an umbrella over him.

"It's just you."

Kuroko expected a cheery reply or even a joking one, not the serious, solemn words that came out from the other's mouth.

"You have nothing left."

Reality is too cruel.

"I know."

It was simply too much to bear at times.

"They were going to leave you behind eventually."

There was never a team, and what little friendship they had was swept under the rug.

"I know."

It hurts.

"You knew, but you didn't do anything. Now, it's too late."

Sometimes, it's even painful for him to _breathe_.

"I know."

The other teen sighed before sitting beside him on the wet sidewalk. "Why didn't you do anything? You saw it coming." He sighed. "That's what I don't understand about people sometimes. They're very much aware of problems that are happening or could be happening, yet they won't act."

"I hoped they would realize their mistakes on their own," He said, voice slightly hoarse and soft. "Obviously, I was clearly wrong."

He didn't know why he was pouring out his heart to a stranger, but he could not shake off the feeling that maybe, in another life, _he knew this boy_. Maybe, in a different world… or an alternate reality…

"It's not entirely your fault, you know," He answered, and now that Kuroko looked at him, it was as if he was several years older and wiser. "If they weren't blinded by the beauty of the flower of victory, they would have seen what the smaller, meeker, unassuming seedling could grow into."

And boy would that seedling grow; grow into a sturdy, prosperous, bountiful tree.

_And those Miracles missed the extent of his potential, his loyalty… _The teen thought. This was the perfect chance to make his move. He stood up from the sidewalk and offered a hand to the athlete who remained staring at him.

"It would be nice to forget everything and leave it all behind, yes?" He smiled, hiding the sinister ambition underneath a smile. "Wouldn't it be nice to start on a _blank, clean slate_?"

The teen's eyes widened.

Would it be really that easy? Forget everything and walk away without a care?

It was not the best option, and it was the coward's way out, but… but…

_He couldn't help but wish for the ache to stop._

Kuroko took the hand offered to him, effectively sealing the deal.

"I am Kuroko."

* * *

Byakuran smiled; oh, how he smiled.

_You know what they say_, "Third time's the charm, indeed."

* * *

It wasn't immediate, though surely but slowly, Kuroko was coming out of his shell of memories. Starting from being unable to sleep because of the memories that plagued him, he could now rest once he managed to get over those days.

Perhaps meeting the strange white-haired boy, Byakuran, was the best decision of his life.

After the entire fiasco during the championship, the blue-haired teen passed his resignation letter. He did not wait for Akashi's consent nor his frien— team— _clubmates_' reactions. Heck, he didn't even bother to tell Momoi. The only reason why she knew was because all the resignation letters go through her first, then Akashi, then their coach.

However, Byakuran seemed to have pulled some strings. Once he passed the letter and Momoi found out, their coach promptly approved it and thus, his resignation was effective in a short time. The pink-haired manager cried, but Kuroko couldn't find it in himself to comfort her. He was just as broken inside as she was. He didn't know how to handle it when he couldn't piece himself together again.

"Please don't hate them, Tetsu-kun. And please, don't give up."

"I don't hate them." He never did, but that doesn't mean he can't be bitter about it. "But I can't promise you anything about playing. I… I hate basketball…"

He left her dumbstruck in the middle of the gym. He couldn't blame her. Here he was, the diligent one, the one who never ceased practicing, hating basketball. Ask him two years ago about his opinion and he would instantaneously answer that he loved the game so much.

It was hard, hating something you once loved with all your heart.

This fresh new start with Byakuran looked promising. He can't be sure on whether or not he'd have a shining future ahead of him, but he was heck sure it was a lot better than whatever could've happened if he had endured everything by himself. Again.

Months passed by and it was finally their graduation.

He safely managed to attend the ceremony, seeing as he was unnoticeable, but he knew it was inevitable that they'd find him, as every student's name was called onto the stage. The bluenet discreetly shifted in his seat in nervousness.

True to his assumption, when his name was called out, he felt numerous heavy stares boring onto the back of his head as he ascended the stage. He put every inch of his effort to keep his pokerface intact. It was not the time to break down and show his raw emotions for the entire school to see.

However, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed that none of the others seeked him out.

When the graduation ceremony was over, Kuroko couldn't stop himself from observing the other students. Some were cheering, some were grumbling, and some were crying. It was a no-brainer that they were enthusiastic and excited to finally leave middle school behind, even the grumpy ones.

The athlete felt something wet trickling down his cheek. He rubbed it off with a single swipe from his arm. Funny… when he first entered Teiko, he expected his graduation to be exactly like _this_. No one to celebrate with, whilst being surrounded by people who enjoyed theirs with their friends. Ogiwara was in a different school and he hardly had other people to be with. He had never thought solitude would be this unbearable.

When he was acknowledged as a player, one by one, he begun to be surrounded by people he could consider as friends. Little by little, he had become dependent on them. And when they left, they took everything with them.

Kuroko convinced himself that it was going to be fine. The team may not be with him and his two science-loving friends were still close to him, and Byakuran offered him a second chance, but it just wasn't the same_._ He was better than before and they never bothered him in his dreams anymore.

Why won't the tears stop?

After a while, Kuroko had recomposed himself and walked away from his school. When he was about to completely leave the premises, a hand tapped his shoulder. He turned slightly and saw it was Momoi, who was clutching her own diploma.

Only seconds passed and to him, it was as if hours had gone by.

He appreciated that she doesn't seem to want to talk about that game or his former team.

"Tetsu-kun, am I… ever going to see you again?"

He never answered her.

* * *

Italy wasn't as different to Japan as he thought it would be.

Sure, there was a great cultural difference—Italians appeared to be more affectionate and open about their feelings compared to Japanese—but that was it. Like them, Italians have closely-knit ties with their family, if not more so than his own kin. They can be cheerful, they can be sad, and they can be whatever the Japanese can be.

When they first arrived in Sicily, more specifically, in the Gesso mansion, Kuroko didn't know what to expect. Would Byakuran's family welcome him with open arms? Would they accept this broken, fragile little thing as their son or brother or nephew's friend?

Once he stepped into the mansion, he saw that a mix of both Italian and Japanese adornments covered the walls.

When he asked, Byakuran had answered that he had a minute Japanese blood in him via his mother's lineage. The former player also couldn't stop himself from noticing how cold, dark, and empty Byakuran's abode was. There were people, yes, but they were so distant from others that you would think only one person stayed in the entire mansion.

Perhaps he and Byakuran aren't as different as he originally thought.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months as summer came to a close. Kuroko became a permanent member of the household by then.

He wasn't doing anything productive at all. During his time in Italy, all he did was read, read, and read. To his defense, you couldn't blame him. The Gesso family had such a wide and extensive library that it took a dozen or so people to pry him away from it, and that was simply the number of people assigned to look for him, not counting the ones that were supposed to convince him to take a break or two.

When summer was officially over, Byakuran came into his room, flanked by two, muscular men in sharp suits. Normally, he wouldn't be bothered by their presence. The family had bodyguards _everywhere_. However, their current aura and Byakuran's own mood were… unsettling. It was as if he had passed some sort of test and they were letting him see a bit of their darkness as a reward.

He didn't know if the shiver down his spine was due to anticipation or fear.

"I know it sounds a bit sudden," Byakuran said, approaching him with a box in tow. The men who flanked his side stayed by the doorway. "but I think it's the right time for you."

"Right time for me?" He parroted, closing and placing down the book he was currently reading on the side table.

"Yes, it's the right time for this." He opened the box and showed the contents to the player. His eyes widened when he saw a simple (yet ornately carved) pistol and one golden bullet offered to him.

"What is this for…?"

Byakuran ignored his inquiry.

The few times his ugly and dark side were showing, when his darker shades were being flaunted… he personally couldn't find it in himself to like this side of his white-haired friend— oh, his sentiments were far from tolerating it. The bluenet _loathed _it with every fiber of his being. It was horrying, he won't deny it. It jolted the shackles that bound him to his morals and conscience.

It made him feel less human, less grounded— more detached from the world as he knew it.

Nevertheless, the darkness that enticed him to drown in it was simply so…

"Ne, Tetsuya-kun, how would you like to experience holding another person's life in your hands?"

_Tempting_.

* * *

That had been the first time he killed.

Killing people always left a bad taste in his mouth, but he couldn't deny the thrill he felt during the hunt.

Sensing the fear and urgency from his prey, taking in their expression when they think there's still a way out, and seeing them give up after realizing their efforts were futile— he can't shrug off the feeling of adrenaline coursing through his veins whenever he was faced with a life-and-death situation with his next hit.

Killing is like a second nature to him now.

It was different from b— that _game_, and the feeling of blood splattering over his clothes was enough to make him forget and be distracted from reminiscing about the past. He had never regretted his life choices, but he couldn't help but think of the what-could've-beens if he never accepted joining the _mafia _of all things.

It wasn't long before he became an official member of the Gesso _Family_, instead of just _family_.

If you ask Kuroko what he would see himself as in the next decade or so, he never thought he would answer '_mafioso_'. It had never been in his resume. It was unplanned and entirely unprecedented. And currently, he is very proud of that fact.

Byakuran had assigned tutors to him, both legal and underground ones, to teach him on the ropes of the business and the mafia world. Truth to be told, it wasn't that hard. He had always been a tough nut to crack and too perceptive for his own good—something that he inherited from his deceased parents—and being stealthy was not a problem; people rarely, if never, spotted him.

Even now, as a prominent grand assassin-in-the-making, the enemies were having difficulties finding him. And that is what made him very infamous. Mostly, other Families only think of his as an urban mafia legend, but what's left of the Families he helped massacre could attest otherwise.

"Ah, Tetsuya, I fixed your gun," A blond-haired man with a lollipop in his mouth had said, handing a pistol with ornate carvings on it. It was the same gun that he used on his first kill. Well, it was far from the simple pistol it used to be, seeing as their mechanics _loved _tinkering with anything metallic.

"Thank you, Spanner," He replied.

Contrary to popular belief, it was he and not Irie Shoichi (who became Byakuran's right-hand man sometime during college), who recruited Spanner into the Family. Shoichi may have been Spanner's closest friend, but he had been hesitant to let the blond-haired male into the bloody mafia. Kuroko was, too, until the mechanic confronted him about it when the ginger-haired male was being stubborn and could not be asked.

Kuroko gave in, introducing Spanner to Byakuran. Up to this day, he can't figure out if that was one of the best or worst decisions he made in his life. The robot army-in-making he caught a glimpse of in the basement is convincing him it's more of the latter.

The white-haired man seemed to have recognized Spanner, and he was left remembering what happened all those years ago, when his boss appeared to have known who he had been looking for.

When he confronted Byakuran about it, his only answer was a mischievous smile.

The blue-haired assassin inspected the weapon. "Did you add another modification?"

A couple of years ago, Spanner would have been surprised as to how he noticed the changes effective instantly, but now, the science-lover was used to Kuroko's superhuman observational capabilities. The mechanic only nodded. "Yes, I reinforced the entire body of the gun with the strange metal that Byakuran provided me. He told me that he'd explain later."

That was another no-no in the business. Their white-haired man and their ginger-haired friend were still hiding a few things in their closet. He caught them talking about flames—or was it fire?—one time, but he didn't know enough to understand what they meant.

"Signor Kuroko, the boss is calling for you," A scratchy, chappy voice came out from the speakers discreetly hidden above them. Shoichi and Spanner were still working on that, as they were busy with planning the security system, moreso for the former who was also working on some headquarters on the other side of Italy.

He and Spanner nodded at each other before the phantom-like male left for Byakuran's office. What the other told him was something that was beyond his wildest imagination. It was like something out of a shounen manga.

"These are Dying Will flames. They're the physical manifestation of a person's regrets," The man happily explained as his hands instantly lit up in orange flames. "There are seven types, named after the sky and the weather patterns: Sky, Storm, Rain, Sun, Lightning, Mist, and Cloud, with Sky being the rarest among them. It's possible for one person to have many types of flames. Anyways, each one has a different property."

And the man continued his lecture on them. Kuroko didn't understand the whole concept of how and where exactly did those flames come from, but he was not complaining, seeing as these… flames were beneficiary, even though it took him half a day to light one up. Now he understood why Byakuran mostly gave him assassination missions, yes, but he was only allowed to go on a killing spree _after_ the Gesso had weakened them with an ambush.

Besides, his Lightning and Mist flames were not only efficient, they also looked _badass_.

* * *

"Byakuran-sama," Kuroko murmured as he stared at his new, pristine white uniform. "what's with the sudden change in outfits?"

He swore his boss was bipolar. Sometimes, he was happy-go-lucky, as if he wasn't a mafioso. Sometimes, he was a bumbling idiot what with his obsessive tendencies towards marshmallows. And sometimes, he's the intimidating head of the Family. To his dismay, Byakuran was usually more of the 'hyperactive overgrown child' one most of the time.

"We~ell, the _negotiations_ with the Giglionero Family went smoothly, and Yuni-chan has agreed to not just ally with us, but actually become a subordinate family!" Kuroko knew that prior to this agreement, Giglionero was known for its neutrality. He figured some foul play was involved to make them agree. The bluenet felt a bit sorry for them. He knew how pushy his boss could be when he wanted something.

"And?"

"And now the Gesso division is now known as the White spell, the upper echelon, you could say. The Giglionero division is now known as the Black spell." He spread his arms. With his back against the sunlight penetrating the glass walls, the assassin pondered on how foreboding his boss's posture looked. "Together, we are the Millefiore Family."

Millefiore.

A thousand flowers.

A thousand bloody flowers blooming in the rotten field of the mafia.

His boss always did have a penchant for theatrics.

* * *

"Kufufufu…"

Kuroko blinked as he heard that weird laugh again. The same laugh had been echoing along the corridors of Melone base for the past two weeks already. Leonardo Lippi often convinced him that it was probably a ghost, but he didn't believe that it was a mere product of his imagination.

When he reported it, Byakuran's smile widened. And subsequently ordered pineapple-flavored marshmallows.

…He didn't want to know.

* * *

According to their intel, there was a rat amongst their ranks. Yuni was emotionless and Byakuran was smiling perpetually as always, but the blue-haired man knew the fury and rage bottled underneath that facade. He shivered at the fate of whoever dared to cross him. Probably someone from the Vongola, the Millefiore's most prominent rival.

He wasn't wrong. The rat was confirmed to be a legitimate member of Vongola, more specifically, a member of one of the three independent divisions: the Foundation headed by the current generation's Cloud Guardian, Hibari Kyoya.

Naturally, it was assigned to one of Byakuran's most trusted assassins— him.

It was supposed to be a simple mission: follow the rat to spy on the Foundation and dispose of the rat afterwards.

He didn't account for Hibari Kyoya's involvement himself.

It was due to his own carelessness, though. If he had been more careful, he wouldn't have accidentally rustled the leaves when he moved and the Guardian wouldn't have been able to pinpoint his location. Well, it was too late to back out now.

The two stoic men stared impassively at each other, sizing the enemy up. It was akin to two predators (with one of them pretending to be some kind of herding herbivore) observing the competition. In the blink of an eye, they both lunged in for the kill.

"For trespassing in private property and attempted murder on my subordinate, I will bite you to death."

"For Byakuran-sama."

Hibari swung his tonfas left and right, which Kuroko parried with his handgun and a short metal rod on his other hand. The bluenet delivered a kick towards the ex-prefect's midsection, with the man blocking it with his arm. The assassin used that momentum to backflip and gain some distance apart from his enemy. He fired rapidly, his aim ever so true, not missing a beat.

Unfortunately for Kuroko, all Hibari did was press some sort of hidden button on his tonfas, which caused the ends to collapse and reveal one short chain each. He twirled the chains on the end to deflect the bullets and swiftly went in for the strike. He managed to land a hit on the bluenet, with a chain wrapped around his forearm.

Kuroko pulled on the chain, _hard_, making the raven-haired male stumble a bit and that gave the Millefiore assassin an opening. He shot at the Guardian, who tilted his head to the side. However, the bullet managed to graze his cheek. When he was distracted by the gun, the ex-athlete managed to break free from the chain and give a deadlier, meant for bodily harm version of Ignite Pass to Hibari's torso. Hibari, as he wheezed, hit Kuroko's temple with his tonfa.

Both men hopped a few steps apart. Kuroko inwardly grimaced as he noticed that he sustained more injuries compared to the other. The only major damage he did to Hibari was that one torso strike, and it was getting hard for him to go on because he suffered a minor concussion from that one tonfa attack.

As for Hibari's side, well, it has been a while since he had a thrilling enemy. Most of the people he bit to death were cannon fodders and the omnivore (Tsunayoshi) and his obnoxious band of herbivores he called the other Guardians were all the way back in Italy. Which was more than a thousand miles away from Namimori.

Muttering a small 'tsk', the phantom-like assassin lit up his Lightning ring, wrapping the metal rod on his other hand with green-colored flames. Coupled with a few illusion tricks, he tossed the rod straight onto the ceiling, causing it to go down with a small explosion.

Smoke covered the entire room and Kuroko used that moment to escape.

When it cleared, the ex-prefect was a bit ticked off that the enemy ran away, especially since his enemy was a Mist-user, evidenced by the hint of indigo flames on the ground.

_'Illusionists,' _He darkly thought, being reminded of the pineapple-haired convict in Vindice.

* * *

When Byakuran saw how much damage Kuroko sustained, he became furious.

How dare that insolent Cloud Guardian harm his toy! Tetsuya-kun was one of his favorite ones, too! Those injuries weren't mere flesh wounds that could be overlooked. He had planned to let the Vongola live longer, but if they dare touch his precious pawns, he would not let them live any longer.

The Millefiore boss's eyes landed on the Mare Sky ring on his finger. A smile bloomed from his lips.

Well, it was about time he took the Vongola rings and assemble the Tri-ni-sette, anyway.

* * *

Kuroko was confused as to why Byakuran would agree to a peace treaty meeting with the Vongola. Weren't they the enemies? The obstacles to Millefiore's goals? Why were they patronizing with the enemy?

He watched the events proceed with a bated breath. Byakuran was now handshaking with Sawada Tsunayoshi, the current head of their rival Family. The brunet was done signing the document. The paper was passed to the albino. Once he signs it, the two Families would be allies. Just what was their boss planning?

He got his answer soon enough when the Millefiore boss crumpled the paper in his hand and burn it with intense Sky flames, his normally playful lilac eyes cold and merciless. Meanwhile, from his peripheral view, he saw something metallic glint from Shoichi's robes. He blinked. _Is that__—_

A shot rang into the room and everyone was shocked sans Byakuran—who was smiling cruelly—as they watched the brunet boss of the Vongola fall down to the ground. It was quiet for a few seconds until each one of the enemies shouted at the boss to _Wake up, please wake up. We can't continue without you!_

Kuroko was thankful that he wore a mask most of the time or else his boss could've seen his disapproval. It may not be the best choice, but somehow shitty or not, he owed this second chance to the strange white-haired man. He would not let him down by showing his vulnerability to the enemy.

From the corner of his eye, he saw something red headed straight towards his boss. His eyes widened. _Byakuran-sama!_

He hurriedly ran and shielded his boss from the assault. The pale-haired assassin, having been born with a naturally weak body, immediately went down as he felt the burning sensation on his back.

He never did see the look of pure shock and rage that flitted Byakuran's face at that event.

The room burst in orange.

* * *

The blue-haired assassin sat on the wheelchair, bandages wrapped around his chest and torso, extending to his back. There were hints of his past burn marks visible above the wraps. Beside his chair was a wooden doll complete with a dark cloak and a small white box embedded on its chest.

He readjusted the doll's limbs and placed a grade-A Mist ring on one of its fingers. He wheeled his chair back a bit to inspect his doll. His concentration was broken when a knock resounded from the door. It opened to reveal Byakuran carrying something covered by a scrap of cloth. The white-haired male handed it to him and he unwrapped it.

"Are you ready for Choice, Tetsuya-kun?"

Kuroko placed the mask on the doll's face and he wore the Mare Mist ring. Lighting up his Mist flames, the doll responded to it. First, the fingers moved, followed by the jointed limbs, until the main body could move.

"Or should I say… Torikabuto?"

Byakuran had a pleased grin on his face. He couldn't have asked for a better toy.

"I am ready to serve you, Byakuran-sama."

* * *

**And as they say, the rest is history. *wink wink nudge nudge* I STOPPED JUST BEFORE CHOICE (OBVIOUSLY) BECAUSE ME THINKS EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IS OBVIOUS AND DOES ADHERE TO CANON. There's no need to narrate that part.**

**I REPEAT: COULD HAVE A SECOND CHAPTER, IF YOU GUYS DEMAND FOR IT AND I GET SMACKED IN THE FACE BY MORE INSPIRATION (I ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO START THE NEXT ONE).**

**I THINK I REMEMBER TORIKABUTO BEING A DOLL SOMETIME AGO. SOOOO INJURED KUROKO = NO FIGHTING = DOLL SUBSTITUTE = TORIKABUTO.**

**And I remember that his Funeral Wreaths were the same people all throughout the parallel worlds, meaning, the familiarity Kuroko felt around him was a result of another version of Byakuran and Kuroko meeting.**

**AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT ONLY THE MAIN CHARACTERS KNOW BYAKURAN CAN SEE THE PARALLEL WORLDS AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF SHOICHI (THE ONLY PERSON WHO DISCOVERED IT BY HIMSELF), RIGHT?**

**I hope you like my idea.**

**Ciao ciao~! -Flonne.**


	2. To the Me in Another Life

**I'm back bitches! And this fic is rushed I'm so sorry. Some things could be kinda vague? Maybe I should explain at the bottom of the fic.**

**Anyways, I've been out of commission for… almost half a year? That's end of March then April, then the first two weeks of May, then the entirety of June… yeah. I got stupid and burned my hands in what I call "The Cooking Attempt that Never Was". I am never attempting to cook again. Maybe. For a while.**

**I think I've gotten carried away with the second part. It's a long, long, painful chapter. Disclaimer, not mine, yada, yada. Go on and read it.**

**ALSO, I'VE DECIDED TO DUMP DRABBLES AND WHATEVER I WRITE ON TUMBLR. Link is on my profile page.**

**R &amp; R.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

_**To the "me" in another life,**_

* * *

_"Mama, if the angel became bad, does that mean he can't go back to heaven?" A young blue-haired child inquired._

* * *

Kuroko let out a small 'tsk' as the monitor screen buzzed and faded to static.

He had failed yet again. If only he had not been injured to the point that his legs were paralyzed because of a hit to his spinal cord, he would be out in the battlefield, fighting and _winning_. As he originally thought, dolls are not as effective in conjuring flames.

The blue-haired man made a miscalculation with the Vongola Family's aptitude. To think that Chrome woman was skilled enough to see through his doll's illusion at her age— the Tenth Generation was indeed to be feared. Those kids were getting stronger and stronger each time, and if they are now at this level, who can't see how great they would be once they reach adulthood?

Their current adult selves were significantly weaker than the Millefiore Family's upper echelon, and if they can keep up with them at their supposed-to-be weaker age, then the mafia would probably have a field day with them after all of this.

His eyes narrowed in thought. Try as they may, Kuroko knew that somehow, the others would be defeated. Personally, he wanted the young Vongola Decimo to win; not because he was a traitor, but he knows what is needed to be done and he knows what is best for Byakuran. His friend has gone down a dark path and like before, with _them_, he was unable to help.

(Sawada Tsunayoshi may be the key to stop Byakuran once and for all.)

But right now, he had a job to do, and that is being the Millefiore Family's Mist Guardian.

He turned off the multiple monitors, took a paper mache mask on his desk, and solidified said mask with his Lightning flames, forming the familiar brown cover he was known for. With a wave of his hand, a metallic doll not unlike Torikabuto sprang to life. Said marionette grabbed his wheelchair and moved him out of their emergency hideout in Namimori. Kuroko placed the mask on his face, Mist flames gathering around him and the doll. To the naked eye, they were invisible.

He quietly tracked them down using the flame detector that Spanner and Shoichi once gave to him as a gift. From his spot, he could see where the other Funeral Wreaths were positioned. It has been a day since the others last saw those children (whom he cannot detect as the signatures of the Vongola rings are not registered to the detector) and simply hoped that Byakuran would not toy with them as he did with the rest of Millefiore's enemies.

(It was one thing to battle an adult, and it was another to fight a child.)

The detector's radar went crazy as it picked up a strong surge of flames from the local forest area. Not only did he detect the surge, the radar picked up Byakuran's flame signature. _'How could that be, when he's not anywhere near me?'_ The last time he saw his boss, he was still enjoying himself at some cafe.

The blue-haired Guardian picked up the pace. He had a bad feeling about this.

The deeper he got into the forest, the worse his insides felt. It was as if something was sucking the life force out of him. From his periferal view, he noted something green flicker. At first he dismissed it as nothing, but then the flash came again and he spotted a large, green flame-like tendril headed his way. Using every bit of upper body strength that he had, he threw himself out of the way, with the tendril tearing his wheelchair apart and going straight through his doll's body.

Kuroko was stunned when the flames wrapped around his creation was being absorbed by said tendril. Not only that, flames leaked out from the Mare Mist ring and the grade-A lightning ring on his hand. He felt his chest tightening and he found it a bit hard to breath. The atmosphere was dense and he was running out of energy. This was bad.

If this goes on, he'll run out of flames and die.

He took a deep breath and struggled to rest on the side of a tree. Damn his paralyzed legs!_ If only he could move…!_

The blue-haired man closed his eyes and anticipated the worst when the tendril was headed straight towards him. He managed to dodge by going straight for the ground clumsily, nonetheless, he was thoroughly weakened by the flame drain. Not only that, the tendril remained.

(He was going to die at this rate.)

There was a great flash from afar and Kuroko shielded his face from how bright it was, despite the fact that his eyes had been closed. When he opened them, he was surprised to see the tendril gone, and a large orange dome appeared out of nowhere. The man was entranced by the sight— it wasn't everyday that you could see a dome made of the _purest Sky flames known to man._

He slowly sat up from the ground, trying to catch his breath. The dense atmosphere has been lifted. Be that as it may, that didn't mean things weren't about to go to hell. He tried to conjure more flames, but he didn't have enough energy. Though he wasn't in direct contact with those tendrils, some of his flames have been sapped and that was enough for his frail body to give up on him.

A hand suddenly clamped on his shoulders and he instantly whipped out a gun towards the stranger's face. He growled when he discovered it was a bespectacled white-haired man. He was wearing the typical Japanese yukata, though that wasn't what set Kuroko off. This person was the same man who gave Byakuran the Hell ring Genkishi had.

He didn't know why he was here and he didn't bother to figure out what he had in mind when he gave the ring to Byakuran, regardless, he does know one thing—

This man is dangerous.

"Why are you here?"

The man simply gave him an amiable smile.

"That's simple."

The blue-haired man could see the triumphant gleaming eyes underneath the man's glasses.

"The restoration of the Arcobaleno."

His own eyes narrowed. What nonsense was this man talking about? Byakuran… he already killed off every last one of the Strongest Seven, except for Yuni whom he had taken in to control. He regretfully lowered his head. He didn't approve of any of it. In spite of that—

_"Tetsuya-kun, help me create a new world."_

His smile—

_"I always win, therefore I'm always right."_

It was the same smile of madness that Akashi had.

The moment he caught a glimpse of that, he knew it was too late to stop him.

On the other hand, this man, Kawahira—if that is his real name—is confident that things would go his way; that things would not go for Byakuran's favor. What did this man mean by restoration?

As if he read his mind, the bespectacled man pointed his finger towards the dome. "Simply sit back and enjoy the show, Kuroko Tetsuya."

* * *

_What he witnessed could not be described in a multitude of words._

Only one word could pin it accurately. It was—

_His blue eyes widened as he viewed the barrage of flames headed right for Byakuran, who was frozen stiff in place. He can't deny it._

—a miracle.

* * *

Kuroko watched at the immobile man on the hospital bed. Bandages covered the man's body, hiding the multiple burns he received from the brown-haired boy's attack. Tubes were attached to his arms and an oxygen mask was strapped to his face. The constant beeping of the heart monitor was the only noise in the room.

The blue-haired man further examined Byakuran's condition.

His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was curved downwards. His eyelids were crinkled and stress lines showed on his face. Even though he was unconscious, Byakuran's fists were clenched tightly and his entire body was rigid, as if even now, when they have lost and no one knew where they were, he could not rest.

It was only the two of them, alone again.

Bluebell, Zakuro, and Kikyo were gone, Daisy was out of the question, and they all knew what happened to their mysterious Lightning Guardian trump card.

(He found it kind of ironic, really. Byakuran went to great lengths to recruit them and have companions and now, it was his actions that cost him his Guardians. Even now, he was preparing to leave their Sky, too.)

There was nothing for him to do here anymore. The others aren't around, Byakuran was out of commission, Yuni left as well, those kids from the past have returned to their proper time, and they lost. And it's not as if he was needed, since in the end, he was another tool to be used and discarded— he was useless, too.

At any rate, losing the battle was for the best.

(At that moment, he no longer saw the white-haired man and his fellow Guardians. Instead, he saw a group of kids with hair the colors of the rainbow. A sad smile appeared on his face.)

_To go on our separate ways…_

Kuroko closed his eyes briefly before taking a deep breath. He bowed in front of the unconscious man. "I'm sorry," _For being a failure. For being too late to stop you. For not seeing the moment you started to fall. _"Thank you." _For giving me a second chance. For showing me a new light to follow. For being my friend._

He placed a bouquet of flowers on the bedside desk and silently left the room, not spotting the slight twitch of man's hand.

The next day, Byakuran opened his eyes.

* * *

It's been days since he left Byakuran in the hospital and never showed his face again. He was lost in front of the crossroads again.

The first time he'd been confronted by this, the white-haired man had shown him the way. This time, he was alone in his endeavour; no one to catch him should he ever fall and no one to help him should he ever face difficulty. That doesn't change the fact that he can't wallow up in despair. He wasn't some naive, innocent kid whose heart broke easily because of a game. His hands, so bloody and tired of this life, could attest to that.

This was the world of adults, and he was a part of it.

And that is why he decided to come back here, after all these years.

The blue-haired man stared at the arch.

_Teiko Middle School._

His lips twitched and his grip on the wheelchair tightened. _'How nostalgic.'_

So many bittersweet memories buried within the school. It's been years since he last came here and yet, it did not fail to clench his soul. His past, which he had never moved on, persists to exist, mocking him and his failures.

(He grew up and he took Byakuran's hand. In truth, he only ignored his problems. Even now, he could not fully face his regrets. _I am weak; a coward._)

With a heavy heart, he wheeled himself to leave. Before he could do so, a rather familiar voice called out to him. He looked back and froze.

Pink hair and matching eyes greeted him. "Tetsu-kun?"

* * *

Kuroko and Momoi walked around the school, exchanging hesitant smiles. The heavy silence was slowly suffocating them with awkwardness and anticipation. Momoi, physically, didn't change much, but he knew she was different from before.

(Her hair, her eyes, and her face were the same from his memories. Her stance was friendly and her personality was as bubbly as ever. The way she walked, it was the same, too— confident and headstrong, that was the Momoi-san he knew.

On the other hand, he could see the lines of tension on her face, partially hidden by her amiable smile. Her friendly stance was stiff, and her voice and tone was firm and bold.)

Despite these new things he perceived, he could tell she became successful, what with serving as the coach of today's Teiko Basketball team. It was only regretful that he wasn't there to see his friend grow.

"So, um, Tetsu-kun," She started again. "I didn't expect to see you come back here." _And in a wheelchair no less,_ were the unspoken words.

"I didn't either," _Wasn't planning on it. _"I felt like visiting today." _I wanted to see if anything has improved._

"You know, everyone changed after that day." Kuroko stared at her in confusion. "We tried to hold it together. In the end, everyone drifted away from each other. I mean sure we keep contact and such, but it wasn't the same anymore. We grew up differently and by the time we were aware of it, we were _too_ different and drifted apart."

He held his silence as Momoi pressed on, her voice gaining a sad, nostalgic tone.

"Ki-chan is a pilot. At first he wanted to resume his modeling career, but flying and exploring the sky was his dream. He often told me 'the sky's the limit, Momoicchi!' and 'reach for the skies!'. He tried so hard to keep it a secret and make the pilot thing a surprise but you know he can't hide anything with how obvious he was." They shared a chuckle at that.

Both stopped in front of the gym entrance and observed the group of students who were inside. They were laughing, exchanging smiles, as they practiced and played. Kuroko found himself smiling at the scene. It was nice sight, being a carefree kid whose deepest worries were only studying and maintaining their grades, not once thinking much of the problems of the adult world.

"Dai-chan, well, it's really funny actually. He became a cop," Momoi held in her laughter. His eyebrows shot up in response. That certainly was a surprise. "I mean, _him…_ a _cop,_ really?! But you know, he's reliable and strong and actually has a strong sense of justice hidden underneath all that perversion and procrastination of his. Even now, he continues to amaze me. He never stopped playing, too."

Her eyes twinkled. "In fact, he found himself a rival."

Kuroko softly snorted, unable to completely believe or dismiss what she said. Aomine, finding a rival? That was even more preposterous than him being a cop!

When she noted his dumbfounded gaze, she smiled. "Don't believe me? Really, he revised his ways of life for the better." Momoi's head lowered a bit. "I'm sad that he didn't see his mistake until you were gone."

"Momoi-san, I—"

An orange basketball rolled their way and bumped into Kuroko's wheelchair. The blue-haired man hesitated before picking it up with shaky hands. He managed to toss it back towards the students before his grip could falter.

"Sorry, sensei!" The kids shouted.

"It's okay. No harm done!" She hollered back.

Momoi went on with her story, not noticing what happened or if she did, bothered not to say anything.

"Midorin, or should I say, Midorima-sensei… is a doctor now— a pediatrician actually. But don't worry," She said, waving her arms. "He's as big a tsundere as he was back in middle school. He's the same in every one bit of quirk when it comes to the horoscopes."

The pink-haired woman pushed his wheelchair away from the gym and they carried on with their trek in the school grounds.

"Mukkun and Akashi-kun are the ones whom I don't hear a lot from. The last time we talked, Mukkun was preparing for his flight to be a pastry chef in France while Akashi-kun was getting ready for a shogi tournament. From what Ki-chan told me, he's actually a businessman and the tournament was a simple hobby."

Kuroko's lips twitched at the news. His friends were truly bright lights.

They have gotten prosperous in a span of ten years, while he, invisible, easily overlooked Kuroko, had fallen so low that he could only find a purpose in the underground world, taking other people's lives and wrapping his own life in lies. He could only go on by assisting a madman to drown in his own madness, effectively transforming into a tool who had lost his sense of self.

Guardian?

Merely a fancy word for what sorry excuse he had eventually turned into.

(_His existence was pitiful._)

She suddenly halted and Kuroko learned that they were back at the entrance. He was so lost in their conversation that he didn't have the time to realize that they managed to come back in such a quick time.

"So, Tetsu-kun, what about you?" Momoi said. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

For the second time, he didn't answer her.

* * *

After his chat with Momoi, Kuroko proceeded to explore the city. The city's pace of transformation was constant— unwavering and not minding the people who reside in it. The buildings rose taller, the cars were renewed, the road fixed and maintained, the smoke of pollution thickening; it didn't matter whether you were able to keep up or not. It was a city of evolution; a city of never-ending alteration.

(_"Did you find what you were looking for?"_)

He exhaled. _I don't know, Momoi-san._ Kuroko wheeled his chair, bypassing a kindergarten daycare. An orange-haired man was facing the other way, his back faced towards the blue-haired mafioso. _He must be their teacher_. He glanced at him, remembering his old dream.

_If things had been different, would I have been a teacher, too, I wonder?_

He blinked in disbelief when the man turned around.

* * *

Ogiwara was picking up the children's discarded toys when he felt the hairs on his nape rise. His eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. _Someone was watching him. _He turned around. _But who?_

He didn't spot anyone.

He approached the fence and peered in. Still no sign of anyone but a few people from across the street. "Huh," He scratched his cheek. "I was sure someone was just there."

"Oi, Shige, pick up the pace. You're in charge of the next lesson!" Another man yelled at him. "And get that grain of rice out of your cheek. We wouldn't want kids to poke fun at their sensei now, do we?"

"Sorry! Will be there right away!" He answered. Taking once last look at the fence, the orange-haired man shook his head and went back to picking up the toys. "Must be my imagination."

A slight breeze swept through when he halted, suddenly having an epiphany.

There was only one person he could think of that he wouldn't have been able to see unless he was specifically searching for him.

(_"Kuroko…"_)

"Was that—" He started to get up from his spot when he stopped. Yes, there was only one person he could think of, but he could not come up with any reason for him to be there. It's been a long time since they communicated and he was sure that the other didn't know what became of him now. "—nah, it couldn't have been him."

No friendship was left between them.

_Some friendships don't last forever._

Ogiwara smiles bitterly.

* * *

_"It's been two years. Did something change?" A smile._

_"When we actually meet up like this, I'm at a loss." A pat on the back._

_"It's finally time to fulfill our promise!" An oath._

_"Sorry, Kuroko… we lost." A tear._

_"I can't do this_—_ I'm so frustrated I can't talk straight. You guys won, right?" A disappointment._

_"Kuroko…" An empty gaze._

While trying to put as much distance between him and Ogiwara as possible, he found an empty court with a lone, abandoned basketball on the floor. He carefully wheels himself towards it.

Kuroko gently picks up the ball, his hands shaking just like before. He willed himself to stay still. The familiar feeling of the ball in his hand was something he missed. The rubber texture, the orange color, the roundness of the ball— these were things that he used to appreciate. It was a reminder of what he gained: friends and teammates bonded through a game.

However, the surface also felt cold in his grasp.

(He has always been a shadow. He never tried taking the spotlight ever since his talent for Misdirection had been cultivated. All he could do was pass and steal the ball. He can't go for a shot, though.)

He glanced upwards and focused on the net. _Should he dare try?_

Feeling a bit silly, he decides to try and shoot. What did he have to lose anyway?

He elevates the ball to his chest, with his entire palm holding it from the bottom. With a shrug, he thrusts the ball forward using his palm and watches as it flies higher than any shot he previously tried. The ball follows a high arc before quickly falling…

_And falling…_

Kuroko lets out a small gasp.

_And falling…_

His eyes widened and his stare glued to the ball.

_And falling…_

In an instant, the ball completely descends in and through the hoop.

It was a perfect, clean shot.

His entire form trembles.

If all this time, he was able to do that…

_What kind of life could he have been leading if he knew?_

(Images of the past fill his vision. He doesn't register the tears that won't stop, nor his hyperventilating breaths, and his shaking form. He was filled with a sense of dread and numbness.)

The time he wasted, the mistakes he committed, the chances he missed, the regrets he never resolved, the things he could have done, the possibilities he never knew, the lives he took, the orders he obeyed, the ideals he threw away, the dreams he gave up, the sacrifices he made— was it all for nothing?

If he hadn't thought that his level of skill was adequate enough; if he believed that he could do better, would he have never fallen this low?

Would he never have lost sight of himself?

(He couldn't accept it, this harsh reality in which he'd lost his sense of self.)

Kuroko hurriedly leaves the court, not paying attention to a tall, red-haired man carrying a plastic bag of burgers.

* * *

_Somewhere else, a blue-haired teen and a red-haired one shared a fist bump as they walked home, happy and satisfied after a long game of Basketball. _

_Behind them, the rest of the team exchanged laughs and smiles as they celebrated their win earlier that day._

* * *

The first time it happened was after he received Ogiwara's wristband from his teammate.

He's been having strange dreams recently. They weren't the random dreams a person would usually have. They were so vivid and clear that the blue-haired teen was half-convinced it was a bunch of memories.

In his dreams, he was an adult man who had lost his sense of self. He was alone in the world, lonely and horribly lost. He was so lost that he didn't know what to do and didn't know if he could go on. He didn't have a purpose in life.

It sent shivers down his spine.

What could those dreams mean, he always wondered. Were they telling him of a dark future he avoided? Or was it a warning that he could follow the same path? Were those dreams showing him the what-could-have-beens or were they a manifestation of his fears and weaknesses?

…That couldn't be it, right?

There were flames the colors of the rainbow and faces that he was sure he'd never seen before. He would hear their voices, but he doesn't understand a single thing. And in those dreams—_memories? visions?_—there was one person who appeared in most of them; a white-haired man who loved marshmallows. He had a friendly smile on his face, and the look of intense insanity in his eyes.

(He reminded Kuroko of Akashi.)

Whenever he recalled the white-haired man, a feeling of regret, sadness, and gratitude wash over him in a confusing vortex of emotions. Who was that man and why had he affected him this way?

He didn't understand.

Fortunately, his questions won't remain unanswered. Not when a certain place keeps replaying in his dreams— the place where all of these crazy events have occurred. Hopefully, he would find something there and get to the bottom of the mystery.

_"Did you find what you were looking for?" A voice from a distant future_ _(past?) called out to him in the deepest recesses of his mind._

Namimori, Japan.

* * *

The second time it happened was during his trip to Namimori.

It's been a week since he arrived and there was nothing out of the ordinary.

The only useful thing he learned was that a few students seem to be missing and none of their families, friends, or classmates have seen them for a couple of days, but that was irrelevant to his search.

He'd gotten nothing from this little excursion.

(While he was walking around town, he passed by a bespectacled ginger-haired boy.)

It was odd on how he found nothing, and at the same time, it was silly of him to think he'd find the answers when they were just dreams— a product of his imagination. And it's not as if Namimori was the only place he checked. He went to Kokuyo because the name rang bells in his head and decided to stop by.

Kuroko felt his stomach rumble and sighed. It was time to pick up some lunch. He decided to go to that sushi place he'd been hearing a lot about.

The moment he stepped into the restaurant, his entire body froze.

There was nothing weird or strange going on. The sushi chef was simply catering to some kid and a pink-haired lady. The other customers were simply enjoying their food. The teen shook his head and ignored his instincts and sat on one of the chairs in front of the counter. He stayed quiet, tapping the counter silently whilst waiting for the man to notice him. When he showed no signs of seeing Kuroko, he decided to speak up.

"Excuse me."

The man jumped and his gaze hardened before they went to Kuroko and he relaxed. An unnatural reaction from a sushi chef, but it wasn't any of his business if the man was paranoid. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there, kid. What can I get you?"

"Amaebi for one, please."

"Okay, one plate of amaebi coming right up!"

While waiting for his order, Kuroko watched the news from the small television set up on the wall. From what he saw, there were a lot of decimated buildings and large cracks filled the road.

"This just in. It seems there was an earthquake with a magnitude of—"

An earthquake in all the towns near Namimori? There was nothing suspicious about it, but the fact that this town was safe from an earthquake that occurred in the _ones next to it_ made him pause. There was something else going on around here.

That's it. After this, he'd head over there and see it for himself.

* * *

_"Are you okay?" Kuroko asked as he helped a red-haired boy stand up. The younger teen lost his balance during the aftershock._

_The redhead gladly took his hand to pull himself up. "Ah, yes. Thank you, um_…_"_

_"Kuroko Tetsuya."_

_The other gave him a small smile of gratitude. "Thank you very much for helping me, Kuroko-san. I'm Kozato Enma."_

* * *

The third time it happened, it was when he returned to Namimori

Kuroko found himself wandering back to the aforementioned town. Enma told him they were headed here for a school transfer and a permanent move of residence because of the relatively safe location from natural disasters, and thus, he tagged along.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he bumped into someone. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It was just an accident, after all!" A cheery, brown-haired woman waved his apology off. He noticed the slight crease of her eyebrows and before he could recompose himself, he had pointed it out on impulse. "Is there something wrong? You seem worried."

Her bright smile dimmed a bit, but she still held happy expression grin in place. "Oh my, even a stranger noticed. I—" The woman's smile completely disappeared and she bit her lip in worry.

She started to elaborate on her predicament. "You see, I was looking for my son. I haven't seen him for days now and— you know what? Nevermind." The woman paused. "I'm sure Tsu-kun is fine… somewhere…"

"It's perfectly understandable to be worried about your son, ma'am," Kuroko replied. "Maybe I've seen him somewhere. What is his name and what does he look like?"

"Oh! His name is Sawada Tsunayoshi and—"

Kuroko froze.

The name was so familiar and he was sure he'd never seen or heard of that name before… yet it struck a chord in him.

_Why?_

* * *

_He could see it vividly— flames the colors of the rainbow filled his vision. Green and indigo intertwined in his grasp, while orange enveloped him gently._

* * *

Kuroko eyes shot open and he sat up from his bed.

The blue-haired male stared at his surroundings. He was… in a bedroom? How? He was so sure he had been in a Basketball court outside…

He paused.

_Outside?_

He immediately left his bed and took a peek out from the window. He could see houses everywhere. There weren't a lot of people outside, but he could see middle-aged women gossiping in one corner, kids playing at the other side of the street, and an ice cream truck passing by. Everything looked ordinary. From afar, he could see a few skyscrapers and other establishments.

_What's going on?_

He never noticed his fists trembling.

The teen slowly backed away from the window. He didn't understand what was happening, but he figured out that he was still in Tokyo. Kuroko sped off to the bathroom to look at his reflection.

His hand shakily reached towards the reflection. It was really him… but he was ten years younger. He was sixteen again. But then again, he remembered being admitted to a local high school just a week ago, and he definitely never left Japan to go to Italy. This was strange.

(He definitely remembered being an adult, but he was so sure he had never joined the mafia. It was a unique experience for him— to not know whether he was a broken little boy or an aged, jaded man.)

"Tetsuya, there's someone here at the door for you!" A very familiar voice called out to him. Kuroko felt his eyes begin to water. He hasn't heard his mother's voice in a long time since he accepted Byakuran's offer. He missed her a lot, along with his father and grandmother.

"Coming!" He replied.

When he finally went down, he was surprised to see a white-haired man at his doorstep—

_No,_ Kuroko corrected himself. _He's only a kid, like me._

Byakuran had a teasing smile on his face. "So are you going to make us stand here or are you letting us in?"

Behind Byakuran, a green-haired girl smiled and waved at him. "It's nice to see you again, Kuroko-san!"

The teen blinked at her appearance. Yuni and Byakuran… were together? And Byakuran had a light-hearted smile on his face, as if a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. He could feel himself sigh in relief and relax upon seeing him— the last time he saw his… friend, he wasn't exactly in the best condition.

The last time he saw the other, he had failed him.

"This is your second chance, Tetsuya-kun," The white-haired teen informed him. "I won't ask you for forgiveness, but I owe you at least this much."

"Welcome back, Kuroko-san."

He took both of their hands.

"I'm home."

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_A lone angel descended upon the earth,_

_And was corrupted by power and strife._

_Yet a shadow supported him along the way,_

_So he may find his path back to heaven._

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Byakuran sipped a bit of tea before he settled into his chair.

"Are you happy with your new life? It must be nice… having everything back in order— no mafia to change anything and ruin it."

"Yes, it is nice."

He closed his eyes and recalled everything that has happened to him. He gave the other a soulful stare.

"But even if it's in another life, I have never regretted meeting you."

A tear formed in Byakuran's eye. He blinked and looked up so it would go away before he would end up crying. "I didn't know you had a cute side, Tetsuya-kun. How dare you hide this from me."

"I do not know what you're talking about, Byakuran-kun."

They shared one more look before exchanging smiles, hot tea forgotten in their reconciliation.

As they sat there lounging to their heart's content, Kuroko couldn't help but think on how great his life was.

All was right in the world.

* * *

_"Oh, but he did return to heaven. He had a friendly shadow to show him the way." The mother answered._

* * *

_**Never forget.**_

* * *

**And that's a wrap!**

**Here's a summary of events: **Basically Kuroko loses his purpose in life because the mafia was all he had left then he failed Byakuran, too. Then he wanders around Tokyo, meets Momoi and hears about his former friends' lives without him. He also sees Ogiwara happy. Then when he tries to shoot, he actually fucking can after believing he had no future in Basketball after all these years.

Fast-forward to the future, Kuroko has been having weird dreams lately, and they all point to Namimori. There's also been earthquakes in towns around it, so he's been suspicious about it. His scouting proves to be a lost cause, though. He even meets Enma in another town. When he comes back to stop by in Namimori one last time, he runs into Nana, and when he heard Tsuna's name, it sounded familiar.

That name was the key to everything. That night, he received all of his memories from the future (signified by the flames enveloping him and stuff), so understandably, he was confused when he woke up. He remembers being an adult and a freshman in Seirin at the same time. That morning, Byakuran and Yuni stop by. This is the moment they recruit him back.

In the vague, and very short, epilogue, it's just Byakuran and Kuroko talking about Seirin and the mafia and shit like that.

**I've decided to turn this into a two-shot because it had so many loose ends. I'm not going to elaborate on KHR or KnB canon since we all know what's going to happen next anyway. I've decided to simply show Kuroko's side of the things and this was getting too long.**

**Also, since I've been hanging around tumblr recently, I was able to get a bit of writing groove from over there. I've fallen out of practice for fanfics and that's why I only finished this now. I have other stuff to write, too, and I haven't given up yet!**

**Ciao~!**


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